Cracked Mirrors
by Thanatos's daughter
Summary: Cracked mirrors contort your reflection, they show you pieces of reality mixed with falsities your mind creates, tricks your eyes show you. The real kicker? You can't tell which ones which. You are the reflection but on which side of the mirror?
1. Society's View

How would you describe the perfect woman? Clear and tanned complexion, lustrous hair, pretty pink lips, long dark eyelashes, fairly tall, thin but shapely? Of course its not the outside that matters ( we both know how many people believethat) its the _inside _that counts. So obviously she is smart, top of her class, and everyone knows that _she'll _be _Valedictorian. _She's kind, and sweet, and everybody _loves __her_**_. _**

So why do you look down on us? _Yes_, we wear concealer to conceal our imperfect complexions (and our impure hearts). _Yes _we spray tan our skin because we get THE WORST sunburns ever and _yes _we dye (and highlight and lowlight and straighten and curl and volumize and mousse) our hair. _Y__es _we use like 500 different types of shampoo and conditioner in hopes of making our hair look silky(er). _Yes _we paint our lips pink (such a pretty colour to hide our sins in) and _yes _we wear mascara to darken (and lengthen and volumize) our eyelashes. _Yes _we wear heels (and boots and wedges and stilettos) to make our legs look longer ( "They go on for miles!") and to look a bit taller. _Yes _we diet (and binge and purge and starve) in the hopes of being able to fit into that BE-A-U-TIFUL dress thats only once size too small (skinny,skinny,skinny. Just got to be a little skinner. Who needs lunch anyways? Its not like its your favorite or anything, except _it is_). And _yes _we never get any sleep ( you can sleep when you're dead darling, you need to be _better_) because we are studying or on the social network trying to become more popular (You need to be loved dear. 500 likes? Please! That math geek, the really pretty one you're jealous of, got 600 likes on her last post. You need to be _better_.) But don't you _see?_

We do all of this to become that "perfect girl". You know, the one that doesn't exist, the one we _made up. _We wear makeup and change our bodies and hate ourselves at night (Because darling don't you know? We arent as perfect as we try to be. ) because we want to be "perfect". Don't you see? Society is _cruel _and we are hell bent on surviving. (We will do whatever is needed. We have already changed our features and our looks and our personalities. We have already tuned cold**,** stop feeling. We have already became as mean and cruel as more will we sacrifice to survive? What more shall we lose in this battle against society? I can answer that sweetie. _Everything_)


	2. Born to Rule

They say that you're an ICE QUEEN sitting atop a glass throne and wearing a crown of snow. They say you are all steel and stone and "people die all the time." You've always hated winter.  
They say that you're a RED QUEEN sitting atop of a throne of thorns and wearing a crown of cards. They say that you are all "off with her head" and "you've fallen down the wrong rabbit hole Alice. " You've always loved the Cheshire cat.  
They say that you are an EVIL QUEEN sitting atop a throne of lies and wearing a crown of tears. They say you are all charm speak and spells and "mirror mirror on the wall." You've always rooted for wrong team.  
In the end you are always a Queen (always winning, always dominate) sitting upon a grand throne (always higher than the rest,Queen of the Mountain) wearing a mighty crown (always proud, always rigid), and looking down at the people (always better, always superior). You are holding a masquerade ( filled with sisters and cousins and royalty from across the land. Filled with competition) and the girl with the prettiest mask wins.  
So you wear icicles and pretend they're diamonds. You wear rose petals and pretend they're cashmere. You wear lies and pretend you're beautiful. Because Cinderella is beautiful and the heart of the prince is all you've ever wanted. However this 'Happily ever after' belongs to the Princess and don't you know? The only heart a Queen wins is the heart of the Devil she meets in Hell.


	3. Things Left Unsaid

_I'm not sure you guys will understand who I wrote this about, on the other hand it can be as clear as mud. So if you guys don't get who it is just imagine it as any Aphrodite girl yelling this to anyone, sister, best friend, anyone. Oh and of course PJO an HOO aren't mine._

You

DISGUST

Me

With your

I/G/N/O/R/A/N/C/E

&amp;and&amp;

Hy/p/o/c/r/i/t/i/s/m

You

"say"

that you are

soooo

**different**

that

You and me

are

"nothin alike"

are you a

/liar/

we are

EXACTLY THE SAME

_YOU_

say that _I _am

-Cruel-

and that _I _

treat everyone as

less

than me

but

_**what is it that you do?**_

I )see(

you

S^C^O^R^N^

him

for your

3 perfect 3

boyfriend

( he is cheating on you darling )

you say that I am a

TYRANT

but

_**what are you?**_

telling (ordering) us

to

!Stay Away!

from YOUR man

{does he know that you #Claimed# him?}

_I_ wouldn't

#Claim#

some who

_/isn't mine to claim/_

yet you have the NERVE to call me

_**/3 HEARTLESS /3**_

says the girl who

Danced

for her "Date"

while her sister

cried

says the girl who

Laughed

at her her "jokes"

while her

"bestfriend"

broke

says the girl who

DID NOT CARE

as the world

*BURNED*

as long as she had her

3 perfect 3

boyfriend

but

_**guess what darling?**_

{ he is chasing after _my _skirt now,

instead of your ugly khakis. }

_too bad _

_I DONT WANT HIM_

isnt that sad?

he ditched you

for a girl

who will

XXXNEVERXXX

want him

So I suppose we are

"Nothing Alike"

but that doesn't mean that

YOU

are the

"better person"


	4. Beware the hidden Jabberknocky, Alice

You've always loved fairy tales. The idea of "true love" and heroic princes saving beautiful princesses has always appealed to you. You suppose it was the Aphrodite in you.  
_[monsters, magic, and mayhem. It has Aphrodite written all over it. ]_  
Soon you learn that you are a demigod, a thing of legend. You find yourself surrounded by 'Real life' heroes!  
_[Welcome to Wonderland Alice. There are no princes here. ]  
_And the cherry on the top of your metaphorical sundae? Your mother is Aphrodite, the goddess of LOVE! Could there be a clearer sign?!  
_[too bad reading was never your strong suit. You would have known that the end to all of Aphrodite's love stories was tragic. ]_  
You were destined to be the princess of this fairy tale. So what if you sisters sneered at you?  
_[they've already learned dear, it's time for your lesson. ]_  
Who cares if they tease and belittle you? You're a princess! The Fates have chosen you for this happy ending.  
_[happy ending? Your GREEK darling, just pray to get out alive.]_  
And you DO find your prince one day. Tall, strong and a son of Apollo he was perfection personified. You were smitten immediately.  
_[oh honey, don't you remember Helen? Mother isn't kind. Love will get you killed. ]_  
You wear a ridiculous smile on your face for days. Eventually your sisters ask you what was going on.  
_[the look in your eyes dear Alice, it does not bode well. Leave the madness to the Hatter. ]_  
They weren't happy for you, as you imagined they would be. They instead were angry, scared. Drew, cold fearless Drew, tried to explain, to threaten you, into understanding. She tried to help you "give up your madness", tried to make you perform the Rite. You remembered that in every Fairytale something opposed the love. You stood up to your Witch and refused. You tried to explain, say that you were in love, say that the love was true. They didn't believe you.  
_[oh darling the only thing that's true, is you've fallen for one who shan't fall for you. ]_  
You raced out of the pink dollhouse like Kronos himself was chasing you and ran to your love.  
_[look into the glass dear Alice. What do you see? The truth has reversed.] _  
You cried and he listened. He joked and you laughed. You kissed him and he smiled.  
_[don't trust the Caterpillar dear Alice, he speaks in tongues and riddles]  
_In the morning you wake in the arms of your prince and smile at your Happily Ever After.  
_[darling don't you know? You bleed blood not ichor, you don't get Forever]_  
You smiled and said you loved him ,he laughed and said he hated you. You found yourself face to face with the dragon.  
_[looks can be conceiving, shouldn't you know? It's your cabins job after all. ]_  
Your heart shattered and you understood.  
Fairytales had it wrong. The prince didn't save the princess from the tower, the tower protected the princess from the prince_.  
[isn't it funny darling, how a little poison can help us see clearly?]  
_You retreated back to your tower where you are welcomed with open arms. You submit to the tyrant and ,in time, complete the Rite.  
_[funny isn't it Alice? The Red Queen was right all along. "Off with his head" indeed. ]  
_Years later and more sisters show up to the door at you dollhouse. All paper thin and porcelain fragile. As much as you try you can never save your sisters from the dragons.  
_[you're Greek love, tragedy is in your blood. Your were doomed to fall through the Looking Glass]  
_Oh Mother, why must you break us so? Do you enjoy your dollhouse full of shattered porcelain dolls? Is this horror story your favorite tragedy?  
_[so remember this darlings. Remember the stories of Medusa and Helen. Remember Medea, and with her remember Echo. Remember Eve and beware, the apple isn't as sweet as it _  
_looks. ]_

Disclaimer and Authors note/explanation:)

So this one isn't really about a known girl or someone who's name was given to us. Why don't we just call her Alice? Anyways this is the story of one of 'cronies'. I think, and hope, it explains why everyone was so willing to submit to Drew and why no one in the Cabin of Love really believes in it [because they've learned better]. Oh and I obviously don't own PJO or HOO. Thanks dears and I hope you enjoy it! ~Teddy


	5. Imaginery Lines

Every philosopher, every teenager, every person desiring to be great agrees on one thing, there is a single fine line between love and lust. It is thin, blurred, and practically invisible but they are that it is without a doubt there.  
_**[many men have died over imaginary lines]  
**_ You don't believe a single word. You are smarter than that, quicker. You have met Love, are her daughter and you consider yourself more qualified to deal with this question. You know that lust and love don't have a fine line.  
_**[you've proven lesser things]  
**_ Lust has brought countries to their knees and armies to the ready. Lust has destroyed nations and conquered empires. Lust has dominated an entire species thought process and actions.  
_**[men have fought for lesser things]  
**_ Lust has brought down entire civilizations.  
_**[in the distance, in a different time, Troy burns. ]  
**_ Lust killed men and stole their hearts.  
_**[Egypt fell and Rome conquered]**_  
Lust destroyed men and stole their minds.  
_**[and a legend died in the fire, Eros arrow in his ankle]**_  
Lust has built legends and torn them down.  
_**[Paris, Hercules, Achilles, Marc Anthony, the names never stop]**_  
Lust is a well crafted blade, a sneaky arrow, that destroys silently.  
_**[Helen, Cleopatra, Medea, Marie Antoinette, the gravestones never stop**__]_  
Lust is a tool used to raise and destroy mankind.  
_**[Troy burns, Egypt falters, Rome falls and France revolutionizes] **_  
Lust is REAL, it's primitive and it's basic human nature. In a sense, in a long outdated but making-a-come-back fashion, lust is more natural that love will ever be.  
Love is a weak mans pathetic dream. It is nonexistent, weak, and shallow. Lust is strong, passionate, and primal. Love is the tool of dreamers and dead men walking. Lust is the maker of warriors, legends and gods.  
There is no line between love and lust, they are on two opposite sides of opposing spectrums.

Disclaimer and Authors note:

Obviously I don't own PJO or HOO.


	6. Garden of Eden

The Aphrodite cabin is a garden, rare and ancient. Its large, has a long history and hosts many different species. It's beautiful and etoxic and admired, just like the plants inside.

Drew is a rose, beautiful and to be marvelled at. She's a pale pink, almost the colour of her eyeliner, and cannot be overlooked. She's famous, everyone knows her name, her story. However there are two sides to every story and it's seems that the sides to Drew's are obvious, the petals and the thorns. No one realizes the only use Drew has for her petals is so her victim can be distracted by the beauty while her thorns slice their flesh. Drew isn't a beauty, she's a hazard.

Alice is a poppy. On its own it's a sad but pretty little flower with an abundance of meanings. When it's used, abused and shot into the skin it's addictive. She'll give you a rush and help you fly, only to watch you fall. Alice isn't sad she is entirely mad.

Lacy is poison ivy. Overlooked, useless and plain. Her green is dull and she looks out of places in this forest of exotic beauties. She looks to posses no real danger, just an irritable rash, an unwelcome weed. However the rash will last for weeks, cause endless amounts of irritability, drive one up the wall with madness. She limits you and many tend to stay clear of her. Lacy isn't useless, she's toxic.

Katrina is an autumn crocus. Wild and a pale purple ,this flower seems stunning to the untrained eye. To those who know her, she is the naked lady born from death. Her poison is near arsenic and incurable. She kills all whose lips she tastes. Katrina is not stunning, she's poison.

Jenna is an aconitum. Tall, pale, and elegant. With a dark history and even darker nicknames she not as she appears. When she corners you she gives you no way out with deadly poison and sharp teeth. She'll paralyze your heart and leave you there. Jenna isn't elegant, she's fatal.

Janine is a datura. Exotic, unique and absolutely fascinating. With thorns as protection she is as beautiful as she is deadly. The taste of her drives men delirious, makes them forget who they are. This sister of witches will lead men to their graves with her poison and they won't even realize. Janine isn't fascinating, she's psychotic.

Piper's hemlock. Simplistic, fair, and a gentle beauty. With her roots in only the worst soil, her upbringing and general lack of grandeur, her danger is almost inconceivable. Yet she will suffocate you and leave you motionless, send you swiftly to a grave. Piper isn't gentle, she's potent.

Silena is ricinus communis. Strikingly vivid, imposing and breathtaking. With bright crimson spike fruit she has a beauty that is entirely her own. While she has the ability to heal she is also considered to be the most dangerous plant in the world. With a slow, painful poison coating her lips she will expose it to you until you're dead. Silena isn't breathtaking, she's life taking.

Mitchell is drosera rotundifolia. Tall, distinctive and entirely anomalous. With gentle colours and flowing hairs he is a peculiar beauty. He feeds on the animals he attracts with luminous colours, devouring and dissolving his prey. He's a carnivore, enjoys his red meat. He lures his prey in and feasts. Mitchell isn't simply peculiar, he's inhuman.

So yes, the Aphrodite cabin is a garden. It has a vast number of specimens and a variety of species. However Aphrodite's children are not Demters, gentle beauties to be marvelled at, and her cabin is no Butchart gardens. No her children are chameleons, hiding their predatory nature, blending into their surroundings. Her cabin is the Alnwick gardens, inviting at first glance but, hidden behind black gates, is the most dangerous garden in the world. They, and she, are not to be underestimated. For once in your life, I warn you, _don't smell the roses. _


	7. Lies or Cowardness

**AN: First things first, anything that you read them doing is most likely a BAD idea and not to EVER be done to someone else. Second, I don't own PJO?HOO or any characters. The plots mine though.**

**WARNING: Coarse language, and adult content. Sorry kiddies but you probably shouldn't be reading this anyways.**

Lets play a game, shall we? Come on, it should be fun! It's _definitely _a party game. OK, lets start.

_**Kat**_, you're first.

Truth or Dare?

"I dare you to...make out with Travis Stoll!"

["travis is way too fun for Katie anyways"]

_S__mirk on. Challenge accepted._

["you whore! Can't you get your own boyfriend?"]

_(Truth is, I've done way worse)_

"How could you do something like that, Katrina?! They broke up because of you!"

_(Truth is, I dont even care)_

"**We break people up, that's how we work, **_**counselor."**_

_(Truth is, Drew has always been her favorite sister.)_

Good job, Kat dearie. However this is still a little _boring_ isn't it? Lets _notch it up _a bit. Double dare, anyone?

Great! _**Ali**_, your turn.

"I double dare you to...hang Miranda Gardiner's underwear in the Mess Hall!"

["ooo! And make sure to let her know who it's from!"]

_Smirk on. Challenge accepted._

["you bitch! What did I ever do to you?"]

_(Truth is, I laughed!)_

"Alice! Why on Earth did you do that to poor Miranda? How would _you _like it if I did that to _you?_"

_(Truth is, I don't feel guilty at all.)_

"**Poor Miranda?! How about poor us! Did you SEE what she was wearing yesterday? Khakis! EVERYONE knows khakis were NEVER cool! I'm repaying that public offense."**

_(Truth is, Pipers too much of a mother hen to be a sister)_

This games still a bit _tame. _Why don't we crank it up a few notches. How does Triple Dawg Dare sound?

_**Mia**_, you're up.

"I triple dawg dare you to...give that Hecate weirdo, Lou Ellen or whatever, a _makeover._"

["ooo! And why don't we help her out with that _wardrobe _of hers?]

_Smirk on. Challenge accepted._

["you asshole! Why wont you just .ALONE?"]

_(Truth is, I smiled throughout the entire dare)_

"For Zeus' sake Jamie! Do you know how long you'll be mucking out the stable? You BURNT her clothes and CUT OFF her hair! WHY?!"

"**Chill out Pipes. She looks better now than she ever did before."**

_(Truth is, Pipers too much of a stickler for any fun)_

Oh but this is getting fun, _isnt it? _Come on _**Lace, **_you've always wanted to be part of the group.

Join in.

"I T.D.D you to… burn down the strawberry patches!"

["ooo! And while you're at it, why don't we remind the Demeter kids how being a gardener is soo 70's."]

_Laugh given. Challenge accepted._

["you little shit! You did it, didn't you? When we find proof…"]

"Lacy! How could you? Hanging around with Drew, lighting the strawberry patch on fire, spray painting the Demeter cabin? Do you have ANY idea how angry I am?!"

"**Calm down Piper! For Zeus' sake it was just a prank! Besides plants grow back anyways! Geez."**

_(Truth is, Drew's more of a sister than you will ever be)_

Brilliantly handled, Lacy dearest. It looks like this game is _finally_ heating up! Why don't we send you out now love?

_**Jen**_, you're next.

"I T.D.D you to...throw the Apollo kids' bows in the Lake!"

[ooo! And those stringed _monstrosities_ that interrupt my beauty sleep at 5 in the morning!]

_Smirk on. Challenge accepted._

["you skank! Do you have any idea how much those cost?"

_(Truth is, knowing makes it twice as fun)_

"Jenna! Do you KNOW how _irresponsible _that was? We might have been attacked and needed those bows!"

"**Gods, shut up. We obviously weren't ,so stop whining!"**

_(Truth is, Piper's too much of a bitch to trust)_

Oh marvelous dear! This game was _such _a good idea! Who's turn is it now? Oh! Of course!

_**Mitch**_, you're on.

"I T.D.D you to...steal something from the Big House!"

["ooo! And make sure to send Mr.D our _love!_"]

_Smirk on. Challenge accepted._

["you stupid little brat! You're lucky I'm forbidden from turning you into a cockroach!"]

_(Truth is, that's the most fun I had in ages)_

"For Zeus' sake Mitchell! Why did you even steal alcohol anyway? You're not even old enough to drink!"

"_**For Zeus' sake Piper! **_**Layoff. Its just a bit of booze. Besides you're a klepto, aren't you?"**

_(Truth is, Piper is too much of a hypocrite to admire)_

Oh! Have we already gotten to _her? _Well alright then. This should be entertaining.

_**Drew**_ dearest, it's your turn.

"We dare you to… go on a date with Leo Valdez!"

["someone make sure to tell our _precious_ head counselor. Her reaction...haha"]

_Smirk amplified. Challenge embraced. _

["you little harpy! Stay the HADES away from him understood? We don't need you destroying my brother!"]

_(Truth is, the date was fun)_

"What the _HADES _was that Drew?! He doesn't need someone like you breaking his heart! Don't go anywhere NEAR him or I will feed you to the harpies! _Understood?_"

"**Calm the fuck down, **_**Dumpster Queen. **_**It was a DATE, not a hookup. He had every chance to say no! Geez. Hormonal bitch much?"**

_(Truth is, Piper is too stereotypical to befriend)_

Look at that _Piper_! Ruining all my fun. Such a stick in the mud! Alas all games must end and this one is no exception. One last one then? To wrap up the game?

_TRUTH OR DARE?_

_(Truth is, Katrina burnt Pipers bedspread when she tried to threaten Drew away from Leo)_

_(Truth is, Alice broke every single window in the Demeter cabin when they yelled at Lacy)_

_(Truth is, Jamie threw Pipers phone in the Lake when she lectured Jenna)_

_(Truth is, Lacy poured a bottle of Jack Daniels in Pipers trunk when she bitched at Mitchell)_

_(Truth is, Jenna broke Katie's nose when she called Kat a whore)_

_(Truth is, Mitchell dumped a bowl of soup on Miranda's head for calling Alice a bitch)_

_(Truth is, Drew uploaded every embarrassing photo she could find of Lou Ellen on facebook because she called Jamie an asshole)_

_Dare._

_(Truth is, they all look out for each other)_

"I dare you to…"

_(Truth is, its a good thing we always pick dare)_


	8. Uncomprehending

Things were getting out of hand. Ok, things had gotten out of hand ages ago. In reality, Piper should have put a stop to it the moment it began, instead of letting it escalate. She really was a horrid counselor, wasn't she?

_{You said it not me, dearie}_

At first it didn't really seem like such a big deal. Katrina is sort of a slut and wrecking relationships seemed straight up her alley. However Piper was head now and she had to say _something. _That may how things had been with Drew but Piper was all about love, not lust.

_**"How could you do something like that, Katrina?! They broke up because of you!" **_

Honestly she hadn't meant to sound so accusing; she was just really upset for Katie. She really like Travis and this was a bad end to any relationship.

"**We break people up, that's how we work, **_**counselor."**_

Piper sure didn't expect the mocking tone. She knew she hasn't been the best counselor ever but she was learning and she had to have been better than Drew! At least Piper cared about her siblings' opinions. She wasn't a dictator.

_{Of course you never once suspected that not everyone wanted their Queen dethroned, now did you?}_

However Piper left it at that. She knew she'd have to work hard to fix her sister's brainwashed mind.

She started to get a better picture of what was to come when, the next morning, she walks into the Mess Hall for breakfast and sees a fuming Miranda Gardiner pulling underwear down. When Miranda begins yelling at Alice, a sweet girl Piper was beginning to like and Alice _laughed_, she knew she had to intervene.

_**"Alice! Why on Earth did you do that to poor Miranda? How would you like it if I did that to you?" **_

Applying what she did to her instead of her victim was a parenting trick that her father always used on her. Piper was sure that it would make the sweet girl at least apologize and hopefully never do anything like it again.

"**Poor Miranda?! How about poor us! Did you SEE what she was wearing yesterday? Khakis! EVERYONE knows khakis were NEVER cool! I'm repaying that public offense."**

Piper almost reeled in shock. For such an innocent girl to say something so, _cruel_ was terrifying! Piper really had no response to that and instead stood frozen as Alice quietly sniggered and strutted away with Lacy. After she regained her composure she flung herself on the bed and swore. Drew's influence obvious was deeply ingrained into her sisters, it would be Hades trying to fix them, but fix them she will.

_{Of course it never occurred to you that maybe they don't need fixing?]_

However Piper knew she couldn't do anything about it now and instead ran off to her Archery class.

She realized what a terrible mistake that was when she woke the next morning to a horrid screeching. She followed the sound and almost groaned in dismay at what looked to be a group of her sisters and Lou Ellen. They were surrounding her and laughing as she cried, searching through a pile of ashes, her hair cut in random lengths. Shoving through her group of sisters she was just in time to see Lou swivel around and begin yelling at Jamie. Jamie just smiled and laughed as one of Lou's brothers took her and drug her away. Taking the opportunity Piper grabbed her own sister and pulled her to the side. Forcing Jamie to look at her, Piper practically yelled at her.

_**"For Zeus' sake Jamie! Do you know how long you'll be mucking out the stables? You BURNT her clothes and CUT OFF her hair! WHY?!"**_

Piper was fuming. Her skin was red and her hands clenched. This was not a question she was asking, it was a demand.

_**"Chill out Pipes. She looks better now than she ever did before."**_

Sputtering with rage Piper simply stood there as her sister smirked and pushed her away. What did Drew do to them to let them think this was okay? How many years of charm speaking went into corrupting her siblings?

_{Did it never occur to you that maybe Drew had nothing to do with it?}_

Piper was scared to find out.

Things escalated from there. Piper did her best to try and figure out what was going on but it was like the whole cabin was hiding some sort of deep dark secret from her. She just couldn't figure out their motives. So she punished everyone she saw laughing at Lou Elle. She reported them to Chiron and made them was down the entire cabin. It looked like it was working but she awoke in the middle of the night to screams and the smell of smoke.

Piper panicked. As she thought the were under attack she quickly grabbed her knife and turned to warn her sisters, only to find out no one was there. She instead ran outside and saw the strawberry patch alight and a small gaggle of girls outside. Running over she saw a full on brawl between the Demeter kids and her siblings. She was just in time to hear them accuse Lacy, Piper's favorite sister by far, of lighting the patch on fire and spray painting their cabin. Lacy just stood there smug as people rushed around her, putting out the fire. Piper helped put out the fire and when she returned to her cabin, shoved a laughing Lacy against the wall.

"_**Lacy! How could you? Hanging around with Drew, lighting the strawberry patch on fire, spray painting the Demeter cabin? Do you have ANY idea how angry I am?!"**_

Piper yelled, her hands gripping Lacy's shoulders and she slammed her against the wall again, to accentuate her anger. Lacy, quirky, kind, scared little lacy, just smirked at her.

"_**Calm down Piper! For Zeus' sake it was just a prank! Besides plants grow back anyways! Geez."**_

Piper was starting to get used to her sister's bipolar nature but one thing she did not expect was a snarky Lacy. So as Lacy shoved Piper away from her person and sent her a nasty glare Piper stared at her in shock. What is wrong with her siblings?

_{Of course it never struck you that maybe YOU are the strange one here.}_

Piper was determined to find out.

It seemed the Fate's choose her to mock. As she had gotten over her shock fairly quickly and decided to go to the Lake to cool off Piper noticed another brawl starting. Cursing her luck and the Fate's for making her run away so much lately Piper quickly made her way to the scene. And a scene it was. It seemed her sister Jenna, one of the smartest and coolest girls she had ever met, minus Annabeth, was getting yelled at by and entire hoard of Apollo kids. As she was asked a bystander what happened and received her answer Piper quickly grabbed Jenna by her shirt and hauled her off to the side.

"_**Jenna! Do you KNOW how irresponsible that was? We might have been attacked and needed those bows!"**_

Piper expected her sister to think logically. She knew this girl, she was practically a genius! She sure didn't expect her sister to snarl at her and reply back just as angrily.

"_**Gods shut up. We obviously weren't, so stop whining!"**_

Piper almost flinched. She knew she wasn't whining, and that what she had said was perfectly reasonable however the words were practically spat at her. She couldn't figure out why her sister would be so disgusted at her.

_{Of course you couldn't}_

Piper, in a shocked sadness, chose to retreat and hang out with her friends instead. Maybe they could help her figure out this puzzle.

It was two days later and Piper had assumed that the "pranks" had stopped. She assumed that Jenna was the mastermind behind the whole things. That theory was quickly thrown out the window when, during lunch, Mr. D stormed out of the Big House and turned to threaten Mitchell for stealing something. After asking around, (how is it that information always seems to reach her last?), she was given enough information to confront her half sibling, which seems to have become an unfortunate habit of hers lately.

"_**For Zeus' sake Mitchell! Why did you even steal alcohol anyway? You're not even old enough to drink!"**_

After the words left her mouth she realized how stupid they sounded and wished she could take them back. She winced internally and prepared for a snarky remark not what she received.

"_**For Zeus' sake Piper! Layoff. Its just a bit of booze. Besides you're a klepto, aren't you?"**_

Piper was definitely not prepared for the way he mockingly spit her words and her past in her face. It was almost like she was talking to _Drew. _How bad must Drew have been that they had to learn how to throw insults at people?

_{It never occurred to you that it is natural to them, now did it?}_

Piper was going to put an end to this once and for all.

It never occurred to Piper that if this was all Drew's doing, like she thought it was, that Drew herself would want a part in it. It however occurred to her very suddenly when she was coming back from her date with Jason only to see an angry Nyssa yelling at a smirking Drew. Piper sighed, wondering what she had gotten up to now and quickly ran over to Nyssa. As she explained how Leo came to the cabin last night high on life after going on a date with Drew, Piper quickly understood. With what she felt was a righteous rage Piper yanked open the cabin door, grabbed Drew by her precious locks and threw her forwards.

"_**What the HADES was that Drew?! He doesn't need someone like you breaking his heart! Don't go ANYWHERE near him or I will feed you to the harpies! Understood?"**_

It perhaps wasn't the kindest way she could have worded it but Drew wasn't the nicest person so Piper felt no guilt. However she was prepared for a verbal beating as Drew's cronies helped her up.

"_**Calm the fuck down, Dumpster Queen. It was a DATE, not a hookup. He had every chance to say no! Geez. Hormonal bitch much?"**_

Piper sure didn't expect that. It almost sounded if Drew was...hurt? However Drew quickly shot that idea down when Drew finished her insult with a cruel laugh and a harsh smirk. Why does she hate her so, Piper will never know.

_{Open your eyes dearie, then you'll know}_

Piper wouldn't stand for this anymore.

"_**Okay. I'm sick of this. If I see another one of you pull another so called 'prank' on anybody else, you will be mucking stables for the rest of your life! Understood?"**_

Piper glared at her siblings and clenched her fists as they laughed.

"_**Would you look at that? Pipes has finally decided to do her job!"**_

"_**As if she would suddenly start caring now!"**_

"_**Well she's got to keep up her reputations as being better than we will ever be!"**_

"_**Gods. At least Drew remembered we existed."**_

"_**Drew actually gives a rat's ass about us. We're just Pipes charity case"**_

"_**Of course! She is all rainbows and happiness right? Can't let her siblings ruin that rep!"**_

"_**Should've just let me lead, Dumpster Queen. No one disrespected me."**_

Piper just stared in shock as her siblings all chose to gang up on her. She wasn't aware that her siblings had so little faith in her. She instead watched sadly as they laughed cruelly and exited the cabin. She sank in the bed and watched as they left, more of a family when dissing her than she's ever seen them be.

_(She wasn't aware of the reason her bedsheet was burned.)_

_(She didn't get why the Demeter's windows were smashed in.)_

_(She didn't know why her phone was suddenly missing one day.)_

_(She was extremely confused when she opened her chest one day to the reek of alcohol)_

_(She had no idea why Katie was walking around to the infirmary with her hand on her nose.)_

_(She was bewildered when she saw Miranda walk out of the Mess Hall covered in soup.)_

_(She was mortified when she sees the horrible pictures of Lou Ellen on Facebook)_

_(Truth is, Piper will never understand her sisters.)_


	9. Love, Jenna

"... Those streets that turn in on themselves, all the houses that were built to fall apart." Margo Roth Spiegelman (From the mind of John Green.)

Someone mentioned something to me once. Well not exactly to me per say, they probably didn't even realize they said it out loud, let alone that I remembered, but I heard it none the less. I'm not the kind of girl that people tell, let alone believe capable of understanding, philosophical phrases. In the words of John Green, I'm a "paper girl" surrounded by paper siblings and plastic friends. I'm not supposed to be the type of girl to remember things like this. I'm supposed to read Cosmos and browse EBay, not read and ponder over philosophy like some Athena nerd. Unfortunately I've never been able to live up to expectations and the phrase still has me tight in its grasp. "We are all born with but one purpose, to die."

The phrase stuck in the back of my head, like chewing gum to the bottom of a desk. Where I'm from they tell us about destiny, about Fate. They tell us we all have a purpose, some more important than others. I've met one of the kids with a destiny, the Fate's personal whip boy. He doesn't look like he has some supreme destiny powering his every move. Yes he radiates power like Angelina Jolie radiates sex appeal but that's not the point. He seems so tired, so torn apart. He's just a teenager who has an addiction with blue food, a reason to complain about his life and the scars and nightmares to prove it. I don't know why him being so _haunted _makes me scorn the idea of an all-powerful destiny guiding me but it just kind of seems to me that if we had one sole purpose in life, wouldn't it make us happier? I don't know but the words ring in my ears.

Perhaps death is our ultimate destiny, screw everything that came before. Maybe everything before was a way of proving who we really are, as people. I kind of hope not. I would have failed that test. The thing is, though, that I don't really know. Where I come from we believe heroes are rewarded in the afterlife. I am no hero. In fact, every hero I have met seems to believe every stereotype I have ever portrayed. I'm just a paper girl, the roads will turn on me and the buildings shall crush my bones. I am not special. I'm just pretty.

Perhaps we were born to die, screw everything before it, perhaps not, but I can tell you this. If death is my ultimate destiny, screw everything else, I'm going down a hero. Let the roads destroy me, the houses turn my bones to dust. Let the paper suffocate me until I stop being a 'paper girl' and start being a paper grave. Let my pretty fade. Let my happiness perish. Because if this IS a test, I will win. I always do.

~Jenna


End file.
